National News Flash 30 of 2014: 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

National News

National News Flash 30 of 2014: 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence 25 November – 10 December

The 16 Days of Activism is a global Campaign that advocates for action against gender-based violence. This Campaign has been running for 23 years. Since 1991, the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership has been the global coordinator of the 16 Days Campaign. The International theme for 2014 is “From peace in the home to peace in the world: let’s challenge Militarism and end Gender-Based Violence”.

The three main priorities of the Campaign this year are:•Violence perpetrated by organs of state. ( e.g. aggressive action by police)•Proliferation of small arms. (often used in home based violence by intimate partners)•Sexual violence during and after conflict. ( e.g. kidnapping of the Nigerian school girls)

The NAPTOSA Charter of Professionalism states that we, the teachers of NAPTOSA will serve and educate all learners with equal dedication, irrespective of gender, race, culture, religion, political affiliation, intellectual capacity and sexual orientation, delivering the curriculum so as to enable all learners to develop their skills, knowledge, values and attitudes in a changing environment. Therefore, we urge all NAPTOSA members to dedicate the last (16) days of the school year to some form of activism against School-related Gender-based Violence (SRGBV).

Acts of Activism may include:•Ensuring that school policies promote human rights as expressed in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.•Clearly stating the responsibility of all school stakeholders to comply with policies and procedures and to behave in a manner that respects all people.•Encouraging ongoing monitoring and evaluation of school policies with regard to promotion of human rights, especially with regard to issues relating to School-related Gender-based Violence (SRGBV).•Members could light a candle in the staffroom to symbolise their stand against SRGBV and commitment towards prevention and eradication of Gender-based violence in schools.

Other important dates to commemorate during the 16 Days of Activism are:•International World AIDS Day – 01 December 2014•International Day of Persons with Disability – 03 December 2014•Anti-Corruption Day– 09 December 2014

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is ideally positioned as it starts on the 25 November with International Day against Violence against Women and ending with International Human Rights Day on 10 December.